How To Focus On Your Goals When Your Mind Is Busy With Bright Ideas

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Focus. 

I've always been pretty bad at it. 

As a child, I wanted to be a singer, but then my parents told me doctors make a ton of money. It didn't take long for me to stop emulating Beyonce and practicing dance moves in the mirror to pursue the loooooong road of doctor-ing. 

I didn't make it to far down that road though.

Once I read an article on Business Insider that Data Scientist was the sexiest job of the 20th century, I  hopped on the bandwagon. (That is the real story of how I started my career in analytics.)

The distraction party doesn't end there.

When I started this blog, I started working on writing a book and then I heard that affiliate links were more profitable - so I bought an affiliate links course (obviously). After working on my affiliate links for about a month, I decided that I should really be focusing on online courses so I left my affiliate links by the wayside to try creating online courses. (Clearly, shiny objects are my kryptonite.)

I was so busy chasing new ideas that I never got anything done. 

Related: How To Avoid Shiny Object Syndrome and Get Laser Focused On Your Goals

Do you ever feel like your mind is always coming up with new ideas? And when that happens, you must drop what you're doing to try them?

Over my first year of blogging, I found a way to keep track all of my wonderful ideas while still staying on track with my goals by putting my new ideas into my Idea Parking Lot. 

What is an idea parking lot? 

An idea parking lot is a physical location to put all of the random + brilliant + brand-spanking-new ideas. You can jot your ideas down in a journal, a notepad or electronically on your phone or even in a word document. 

How To Create Your Idea Parking Lot

Choose a place to keep ideas

Most people already have a place that they keep their random notes. I've seen everything from a paper notebook to the notepad in your phone. I prefer to use Evernote for my ideas. 

Evernote allows you to create virtual notebooks and you can create as many notes as you want within the notebooks.

On any given day, I can come up with an idea for a new career entirely. I'd think about the name of the website I'd build, the books I'd eventually write down to the chapters that would be in the books.

Evernote is the best place I've found for those vivid ideas that transform right in front of you because you can create several notes and then order them within your notebooks by common themes. 

Create your first note

To get started, create one note called Parking Lot. Do this right away so you already have somewhere to put your next bright idea.

write down (or type) all of your ideas - big or small

When you write down your ideas make sure you give yourself enough information so that if you come back to it and look at your ideas a year later they will make sense. 

Instead of writing "start money blog ", write down "start money blog where I tell the story of my student loan debt pay off." By writing it this way, you'll remember exactly what you were thinking when you originally wrote the note. 

Come Back To It Later

The best thing about having a parking lot of ideas is that you CAN come to it later if you want to.

At the beginning of each year, when I'm creating my vision board and thinking about what I want my new year to look like, I always take a look back at my parking lot.  I look to see if there was something I wrote down that I really want to do in the upcoming year. 

Related: Why Vision Boards Work and Why You Must Create One

You may be surprised that some of the ideas you had are no longer relevant to you. You may realize that the idea you were working on was perfect and you don't need those ideas anymore. On the other hand, you might see that one of your goals is exactly what you need. :) 

Why Do You Need An Idea Parking Lot?

The book Getting Things Done (literally the only productivity book you need in life) has one common theme: Get your ideas out of your head and save them somewhere.

The Idea Parking Lot is my rendition on this wise advice. 

Never lose Your bright ideas

The basis of the parking lot is that you can capture your ideas without having them distract you from what you're currently doing.

That means if you're in the middle of working on one goal (say, starting a blog) and you get hit by an idea for another blog that feels so amazing that you want to get started on it right away, you can write that idea down in your parking lot. 

 

Keep track of the minor details

You can go into as much or as little detail as you want on your new idea in your parking lot.

For example, imagine you have a vivid mental picture of what your new blog is going to look like. You can write down what blog posts you're going to write, what the name will be, what brand colors you want to use, how you're going to monetize it and what tools you plan on using for it.

 

build on it over time

When new ideas come to mind that can supplement your idea, you can continue to add to your parking lot note on that topic. This helps your small idea become more clear and more actionable without ever leaving your goals.

 

Add Some Space.

Have you ever bought a cute shirt at the mall and then got home and realized you really didn't need a new shirt? You only bought it because it was super cute on the mannequin or it was on sale. 

It happens all the time. Experts recommend waiting a day or two before you purchase something to see if you really want it. If after two days you still want the shirt, it's probably a good idea to buy.

Having an idea parking lot allows you to put that same distance between your excitement and your commitment. 

We get super excited about trying them out that we don't consider the fact that we may not even need the new idea at all. Writing your new idea down and leaving it in your parking lot gives you time to think about whether or not you really need it. 

 

Stay Focused On The Present

The best thing about the idea parking lot is that you never have to leave the goal that you're currently working on to chase a brand new shiny object. You can complete your current project AND still have your new idea waiting for you (with as much detail as you want) should you need it. 

Having an idea parking lot might be the key to your problems. You can stay focused on the goals you're currently working on while holding on to all the ideas in your head. 

Happy Dreaming! 

xoxo 

Want To Start Planning Your Vision Board Party? 

1. Download the FREE vision board party planning checklist.

2. Craft your inspiring vision board workshop talk with our FREE High Impact Storytelling Journal Prompts. 

3. Plan, promote & host your first (or next) professional & profitable vision board workshop with our signature course, Sold Out Vision Board Parties.

---

About the author

Cyrene is a fun and accomplished workshop facilitator, learning and development guru and Human Resources professional. Being at the helm of Thrive Lounge has been a long-time dream. Through vision board workshops she plans to accomplish two-way learning. Sharing her vast years of knowledge to motivate and encourage others; while simultaneously getting the reward of great energy, ideas and questions to ponder back from each group. A super win-win. Please join our Thrive Lounge community so you too can benefit!

How To Make An Extra $500/Month Renting A Room In Your Home

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Money. 

It's a weird thing. Some people can't get their hands on it while others seems to have crap tons of the stuff just lying around. 

I was in the first camp when I realized it was time to start paying off my student loans. I wasn't exactly living paycheck to paycheck. I had enough money to pay for my bills and save a tiny amount (like $100). It was pretty clear that if I wanted to get out of debt I'd have to do something drastic. 

I thought about the usual ideas of starting a blog, becoming a freelancer or even babysitting. When I thought about what it'd take for me to get there, the ideas became much less appetizing.

I honestly wasn't interested in cutting time with my daughter or losing sleep to work extra hours. I spent so much time freelancing and working on campus while I was in grad school that I averaged 3 hours of a night. During that time, the only time I spent with my daughter was when she'd read me bedtime stories before I passed out because I was almost always running on fumes. No amount of money could entice me to go back there again. 

I wanted to somehow bring in more money without changing my lifestyle. 

 Out of the blue, as I was contemplating what seemed like my inevitable return to freelancing and #TeamNoSleep, one of my best friends called me with an offer I couldn't refuse. Her grandfather was visiting for a few months and needed a place to stay... and he'd pay $500/month.

Like magic, the room my daughter was living in for free (that cheapskate didn't even pay for her own groceries!) was now earning me $500.

For each of those months, I was able to double my student loan payments. 

Why This Works

Making money isn't the only tool in your arsenal. You just need to create  a gap between how much you make and how much you spent each month. 

Let me break this down for you: 

Earnings - Expenses = $$ Available

That means you can increase your earnings or decrease your expenses to have extra month at the end of the month. (Or you could be super gangster and do both!)

I was never too broke to pay off my student loan debt.

In fact, I was making more than enough money to get out of student loan debt within a few years. I didn't see it because I was spending $1600 for rent, $150 for car insurance, $100 for gas, $75 for internet, $70 for gas and electric and $500 on my student loans - there's no surprise there was nothing left over to make even higher payments.

When grandpa moved in with me, he lowered my living expenses by paying a portion of my rent. 

This meant that the gap between what I was making and what I was spending increased dramatically - without having to lift a finger. 

How You Can Do It, Too

If you're trying to get out of student loan debt like I was or simply trying to save more money, renting out a room in your home is a great option to lower your living expenses and increase how much you keep in your pocket at the end of the month. Here's how you can get started:

Research before setting your pricing

When my friend called me up, I'd never thought about renting my "extra" room out to anyone. So pricing was nowhere near my radar. Also, this was one of my best friends so it felt more like letting an uncle stay with me for a while. She threw out the $500 number and I happily agreed. 

Before you open your home to someone, though, you should definitely think about what it'll cost you to rent this room to them. If you plan on getting a monthly renter, take a look on Craigslist and see what other people near you are charging for similar rooms. If you want to rent your room nightly to travelers, you can check Airbnb.

Advertise your listing

While I didn't have to advertise my listing, I've definitely rented before. I would start with advertising to friends and family. Simply let them know you have a room for rent and ask if they know anyone. You'd be surprised with what you can find within your network just by asking. 

Then there are the online options. If you're looking for a long term renter, you can post your listing to Craigslist. For a nightly renter, you can post your available room on Airbnb. 

Clean + Furnish The Room

Grandpa ended up renting out my daughter's room. This made the most sense because my room was big enough for my daughter and I to share and my bed was larger (it would've been pretty awkward to share her full-sized bed for a few months). We took all of her clothes and toys out of the room in preparation for grandpa's arrival.

You'll want to have basic furnishings (a bed, dresser, night stand and a work desk) in the room whether you're doing a long or short term rental. I don't even consider an Airbnb for night if it doesn't have a place where I can pull out my laptop and rock out a blog post or two.

Set Rules & Boundaries

Once grandpa came in, I showed him where things were. I showed him to the bathroom, his room, the living room and where everything was in the kitchen. I told him what time I get ready for work and what time my daughter gets ready for school. (I grew up with four sisters and one bathroom so I know the value of having a system when you're sharing a bathroom.) I also talked to him about what time we go to bed and wake up so he knows when to expect more noise then usual (and when to keep his noise levels down). 

By telling your new roomie what to expect when living with you, there are no surprises at all. You might even be surprised at how much their respect your sleep, alone time and that fast-paced bathroom time in the morning. 

But what about my privacy?

For the first time ever, my daughter and I would be living with a man. While we'd grown accustomed to walking from the bathroom to our room in a towel, we'd get fully dressed in the bathroom before coming out. I also opened my room 24/7 to my daughter. Both of these were changes I was happy to make because I could see the reason I was doing it and the pros far outweighed the cons.

You'll have to decide what's important to you. In renting out your room you are opening your home to someone else. This, without a doubt, takes a way some of your privacy. There will always be someone if your home. They will hear you through the walls (and you'll hear them sometimes). 

The best way I've found to keep this in perspective is to put a picture of your end goal somewhere where you can see it every day. I created a vision board to remind me of my student loan payoff goals. There was never a day that went by where I didn't remember why I opened my home, why I gave up my privacy and why I'm happy to do it again. 

Side Note: If you want to create a vision board, my FREE Big Vision Checklist will walk you through my step by step process to make one. Click here to download it!

 

I've never done this before. How Do I keep My sanity?

Three key things will help you keep your sanity: 

1. Don't sweat the small stuff.

2. Pick your battles.

3. Automate, when possible.

Every morning, grandpa would wake up and sit quietly until I came to turn that computer on. I once tried to show him how to do it - and after 2 minutes of frustration clicking around all the apps on the screen, he threw his hands up and said "can you just put it on for me?"

That's what it was. 

Every morning before work, crusty-eyed or rushing out the door, I would have to stop to put the computer on for grandpa (the entire time he called it a TV). Then every night I would have to turn it off. 

Though it was slightly annoying at first, it became our new way of doing things. Each morning, I'd walk into his room, say good morning and turn on "the TV." Sometimes we talked about what was happening on Aljazeera. We has conversations about the president. We started to bond.

Don't take everything personally and don't make a big deal out of the tiny details. Just enjoy the cash flow.

Want To Start Planning Your Vision Board Party? 

1. Download the FREE vision board party planning checklist.

2. Craft your inspiring vision board workshop talk with our FREE High Impact Storytelling Journal Prompts. 

3. Plan, promote & host your first (or next) professional & profitable vision board workshop with our signature course, Sold Out Vision Board Parties.

How To Uncover The Hidden Happiness + Wins In Your Life

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

For the past four years, I've been in constant motion, fluttering from one goal to the next. With each accomplishment, it doesn't actually feel like I've done anything at all. In fact, every step up gives me more confidence to go bigger, work harder, do more. 

I struggle to feel "successful" even though I've clearly been able to accomplish more than ever before. 

It is only in the moments where I reflect on the pictures from my adventures or look at the long way that I've come (mostly through my Facebook memories) that I realize I've actually done something I should be proud of. I've become a better version of myself. Even though I'm still in progress... I've made progress. 

Do you ever feel like you're always looking forward to the next goal? The next challenge? The next bit of excitement? 

What if I could tell you that, like me, you already have all the excitement and success you've ever wanted? Sometimes it's right there in the past just waiting to be unearthed and recognized. 

Each month, after you've set goals, worked towards them... right before you jump to your next set of goals, take a moment to remind yourself what you've done this past month. You might be surprised by what you see. In fact, you might be very proud of it, too.

Here are the 5 questions I ask myself at the end of every month to help me remember how freakin' awesome I am - and remind me that even though I have more journeys up ahead, I've already accomplished way more than I thought I ever could. 

 

What did you try? 

Maybe you tried to learn something new for work or took a class in something you thought you might like. Did you try working out in a different way this past month? Or try a new dish? 

It's important to reflect on the new things you tried because it's a great reminder that you do have an adventurous side, that you are capable of learning, and that you are a big enough go-getter that you have the power and strength to try something new. 

Routine is easy. By trying something, no matter how small creates growth. 

That's powerful.

What did you learn? 

Life lessons go hand in hand with every trial and error you face. With writing down the things you tried (even if it was a total fail) you have to write down all of the things you learned from that experience.

This will help you tremendously in keeping track of the things you'll want to do differently when you try those things again. 

Last month, I made a really bad lasagna (like... really really bad). This year, I decided I'd move beyond my simple dishes and sides and explore a few new ones that I've never tried before. A few dishes have been successful, but lasagna surely was not one of them. I ran out of meat, used the wrong sauce, didn't add the right ratio of cheeses. It was a complete disaster. But that list of things I did wrong will stay with me when I do retry that dish. I'll just have to convince my daughter to try it again. 

What did you improve? 

It's impossible to be good at everything, but over time as you continue to explore things you've never done before or dive deeper into the things you're learning, you'll start to get better at them. 

Keep track of the things that you're improving. You definitely may not notice them now, but when you do look back you'll see the far way that you've come. 

Three years ago, I couldn't update my resume without bursting out into tears because I could not identify any value that I added to any company anywhere. Even though I had a lot of good experience, I struggled with validation. I needed someone to tell me I was smart and made an impact because I didn't believe it (and I surely couldn't write it down on a resume). 

Through the tiniest changes imaginable, I've stocked up a full arsenal of tools and resources and huge gains for others that I can re-write my resume in an hour, while watching Netflix. No more tears, no more struggling. That's a huge improvement. 

What progress have you made? 

Dream big, they tell you. Set a goal that seems impossible to reach. 

Have you ever started to work towards a big goal and realized mid-way through that you were screwed. There was absolutely no way you were going to reach this goal?

I'm certainly starting to feel that way with my student loan debt payoff goals. I set a goal to pay off $32K in 12 months. I'm already behind schedule and it's only February. (What in the world was I thinking? Oh yeah, dream big. *cue eye roll*)

Through the pouting and the eye rolling, I've figured one key thing out: Even if I don't reach this goal, I've already paid off more student loan debt in the past three months than I ever thought imaginable. 

Maybe it's not the 6000 I needed, but it's a solid 4500. 

 

What did you accomplish?

Some of your goals will completely come to fruition and all of the late nights or early mornings will have come together to create something that you've only been planning for up until now. 

Write those things down and congratulate yourself for a job well done.

What made you happy? 

At the end of the day, there is exactly one measure for happiness.... Are you actually happy?

We all do have ups and downs, stressful moments and moments of smooth sailing. But if you look at on the 30(ish) days you experienced this month try to remember the things that made you happy. 

I struggle with being chronically single (it's my gift and my curse) but every once in a while I do meet someone where the experience is absolutely phenomenal. While I could be sad that it was short lived, I much rather be happy that I experienced it at all. I was present for the great dates, wonderful conversation and flirtatious smiles. What's not to be happy about?

I bet your life is filled with beautiful things (passionate relationships, fun times with family, road trips you wish never ended) but we often hang on to those moments that are too stressful, annoying or confusing. We hang on to those and allow them to play over and over in our heads that we don't actually notice when we moved mountains, we accomplished the impossible and when we've been happy. Taking a moment to write these things down makes all the difference.

Want To Start Planning Your Vision Board Party? 

1. Download the FREE vision board party planning checklist.

2. Craft your inspiring vision board workshop talk with our FREE High Impact Storytelling Journal Prompts. 

3. Plan, promote & host your first (or next) professional & profitable vision board workshop with our signature course, Sold Out Vision Board Parties.

---

About the author

Cyrene is a fun and accomplished workshop facilitator, learning and development guru and Human Resources professional. Being at the helm of Thrive Lounge has been a long-time dream. Through vision board workshops she plans to accomplish two-way learning. Sharing her vast years of knowledge to motivate and encourage others; while simultaneously getting the reward of great energy, ideas and questions to ponder back from each group. A super win-win. Please join our Thrive Lounge community so you too can benefit!

8 Mindset Shifts To Create Abundance When All Hope Is Lost

Three years ago, I was working three jobs to pay the minimum on all of the credit card bills and personal loan debt I accrued in my early twenties. I wake up early to go to my receptionist job in the morning, freelance as a marketing strategist in the evenings and then work as a waitress on the weekends. Life was ROUGH.

I felt stuck. I beat myself up for months wondering how I could be so... dumb. I wondered how in the world was this my life. 

I knew I had to get myself out of it.

I had no idea what I would do, where to start, or where in the world I'd find the time in my schedule, but I'd struggled long enough. I decided that come hell or high water I would turn my life around.

The first year after making the decision to change my life, I decreased my spending, went back to school, got a job and paid off most of my debt. The following year, I increased my net worth by $20,984.

It all started with making the decision and changing my mindset around my goals. Here are the most important mindset shifts I had to make to boost my confidence in myself and have the determination to keep going. 

Mindset shift #1: This is Urgent.

How many times have you noticed a small pain (like back or neck pain), but you don't actually go to a doctor or pay attention to it until it gets too unbearable to ignore?

You tell yourself that you can live with that pain. You can love that guy who doesn't treat your right. You can stay in that job that makes you unhappy. 

It's really not that bad, right?

It's easy to see that a change needs to happen, but often we're too comfortable to make a change.

Stop waiting for your situation to become unbearable before you walk away. Screw comfort. 

You deserve to live your best life. The fact that you're living anything less is URGENT. 

Mindset Shift #2: I deserve more.

Have you ever realized that you were unhappy with your life and instead of making a change, you said something like this: 

"I hate my job but should be happy I have a job at all."

"I don't make enough to really enjoy life, but at least I have food on the table."

"He lies to me but at least I have someone to spend my time with." (Ladies... WHY!)

This is often masked as being appreciative or grateful for the things that you have. The reality is you can be grateful for what you have while understanding that you deserve more. 

Think about that guy who's constantly lying to you. You can be grateful that he's great company and still let him know that you deserve someone you can trust. This lets him know that you appreciate the time together and gives him the chance to make a change. 

The moment you can be honest about those areas in your life where you deserve more, the closer you can get to getting what you really want. 

Mindset Shift #3: I am capable of making a difference.

Have you ever looked at a terrible situation and thought... what could I do? I'm just one person!

That  feeling of helplessness is a run that's super easy to get stuck in especially when you're struggling and can't see any way out. No matter how much you're struggling, you are capable as long as you do not give up. As long as you need trying, you will move the needle... eventually.

Mindset Shift #4: Nothing Will Change Unless I Make A Change.

In my case, I realized as long as I continued to work three jobs and funnel the money to my bills, I would never get out of this cycle. Only when I made the decision to step out from my persistent panic did I have the opportunity to move forward. 

Change has to start somewhere... and you have to choose to start it. No one will do it for you. If you're unhappy, if you "don't feel right" about something you have to make the change. You can make the change. 

Mindset Shift #5: I already have Everything I need to be successful.

If only I had the right education.

I could not find a job after graduating from undergrad. I had THE MOST DIFFICULT TIME EVER. I kept telling myself that I'd made a life altering mistake by not attending an Ivy League college for my bachelor's. Because I struggled so much, I convinced myself that only people with the right degrees got jobs. I wasn't smart enough. My parent's didn't have any connections. Therefore, I was destined to fail.  

Imagine my surprise when I scored high on the GRE, went to a state school for my master's and landed a job in under a year.

Like me, you do have everything that you need to "make it" in life. It's already inside of you. You just have to activate it.

Mindset Shift #6: Once I start The next step will reveal itself.

I have no idea what to do.

That keeps many people from starting. When I started studying for the GRE for the fourth time, I couldn't even afford to take the test. At that point, I had only agreed with myself that I would start.

After two months of studying a friend asked me when I would take the exam. I told her whenever I could afford it. Imagine my surprise when she whipped out her ipad and credit card and said "you're doing this." 

Don't be discouraged with the fact that you don't know what will happen next. When you start to work towards your goals (and have faith that you'll reach them) you'll be surprised at the opportunities that come your way.

Mindset Shift #7: I will find a way around any obstacles I encounter.

I was listening to a podcast yesterday and a young man talked about how he aspired to start a podcast but he couldn't figure out social media. He was worried about learning how to promote a podcast that did not exist yet because he has not even created it. In reality, you don't need social media to create a podcast. He was using that as his excuse to not get started. 

If you're starting down a new path that you've never tried before, know that there will be challenges. Also know that you'll find your way around those challenges when the time comes. 

You will read books. You will ask google. You will find mentors. You will figure it out.

Mindset Shift #8: The Time To Change Is Today.

Pull the bandage off. The faster you face your problem (and correct your mistakes) the faster you can start making the right decisions for your future. 

After all, what good is life experience if you don't learn from it? 

Want To Start Planning Your Vision Board Party? 

1. Download the FREE vision board party planning checklist.

2. Craft your inspiring vision board workshop talk with our FREE High Impact Storytelling Journal Prompts. 

3. Plan, promote & host your first (or next) professional & profitable vision board workshop with our signature course, Sold Out Vision Board Parties.

 This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

---

About the author

Cyrene is a fun and accomplished workshop facilitator, learning and development guru and Human Resources professional. Being at the helm of Thrive Lounge has been a long-time dream. Through vision board workshops she plans to accomplish two-way learning. Sharing her vast years of knowledge to motivate and encourage others; while simultaneously getting the reward of great energy, ideas and questions to ponder back from each group. A super win-win. Please join our Thrive Lounge community so you too can benefit!